SpiceXpress’ second 737-700F converted at Haite in Tianjin

On 18 April, Bedek redelivered a 737-700BDSF (30512, ex-Xiamen Airlines) to Spectre Air Capital, following conversion to freighter configuration at the Haite Facility in Tianjin. Just hours before the Cargo Facts team departed Shanghai following a successful Cargo Facts Asia, the aircraft departed Tianjin Binhai Airport (TSN) and was ferried to New Delhi Airport (DEL), […]

• Charles Kauffman
• April 22, 2019

Startup ACE Belgium Freighters secures AOC

All-cargo startup ACE Belgium Freighters, the Liege-based affiliate of CAL Cargo, received its air operator’s certificate (AOC) on 18 April and will soon commence commercial cargo operations from its base at Liège Airport (LGG), with scheduled flights to Tel Aviv (TLV).  Eshel Heffetz, ACE’s CEO, told Cargo Facts the carrier is currently seeking approval from the U.S. Federal […]

• Caryn Livingston
• April 22, 2019

Cargo Facts Asia: New large widebody freighter conversion programs ahead?

At Cargo Facts Asia in Shanghai, representatives from Boeing and EFW discussed the likelihood of a 777 passenger-to-freighter program – or even an A380 conversion program – in the near future. This is hardly the first time a 777 P-to-F program has been discussed. At last year’s Cargo Facts Symposium, held in San Diego last […]

• Caryn Livingston
• April 19, 2019

Cargo Facts Asia: MAX groundings intensify strain on 737NG feedstock

In recent weeks, 737 MAX operators have pushed cancellations further out into the summer as Boeing works with US regulators to modify software related to the aircraft’s Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), which is suspected to have played a role in two crashes involving the MAX 8. Even though MAX series aircraft could take to […]

• Charles Kauffman
• April 18, 2019

Cargo Facts Asia: SF Airlines targeting 100 large freighters by 2022

SHANGHAI – China’s fastest-growing express carrier, SF Express, is planning to grow its widebody freighter fleet from just eight units today to more than 100 by 2022, according to remarks from George Li, VP, SF Express, during a presentation this morning at Cargo Facts Asia.   The expanded freighter fleet will play into SF’s three-tier aviation […]

• Caryn Livingston and Charles Kauffman
• April 17, 2019

Cargo Facts Asia: 2 fast-growing Asian express carriers pursuing ACMI

SHANGHAI – Tianjin Air Cargo and Juneyao Air Logistics, two fast-growing Chinese express carriers, will consider ACMI leasing of widebody and narrowbody freighter aircraft, respectively, the companies said at today's eighth annual Cargo Facts Asia here. Although carriers serving the e-commerce fueled express markets would ultimately prefer to control their own long-haul capacity, panelists agreed […]

• Caryn Livingston and Charles Kauffman
• April 16, 2019

Freighter aircraft transactions through the first half of April

Every week in Cargo Facts Update, we include a list of recent freighter aircraft transactions, and then a comprehensive summary in the monthly issue of Cargo Facts. Each reference to a freighter aircraft transaction (FAT) in our publications contains a unique FAT code linked to the FAT database on the CargoFacts.com website. This database is […]

• Caryn Livingston and Charles Kauffman
• April 15, 2019

737 Classics may still have a role to play in 727F fleet modernization

With deliveries of “third generation” narrowbody conversions, to which the 737 NGs and A320/21 family programs belong, beginning to accelerate, it’s easy to juxtapose the new generation of narrowbody freighters with the 737 Classics and lose sight of the first generation of narrowbody freighters: 727Fs. As 737-400 feedstock dwindles, will 737-300s see a resurgence as […]

• Charles Kauffman
• April 12, 2019